Changes

There are plenty of books out there about boys and girls who have been written off as failures. They struggle against well-nigh impossible odds, they end up bruised and battered and maybe they lose heart for a while. For whatever reason they're usually unpopular (have you ever read a book where the handsome, witty, girl-magnet jock ends up saving the day?) and yet, somehow, in the end , they are the ones who show themselves to be true heroes. Most of us see a little bit of the underdog in ourselves when we're young, and these tales of eventual triumph against the odds reassure us and give us hope. We may not make the football team or the chess championships this year, but hey, inside us lurks a hero, just waiting for the chance to shine. What makes this series stand out from the crowd is that it manages to deal with sinister bloodthirsty creatures and almost non-stop brushes with death, and yet it ends up being funny. As well as Yappy the dog you get to meet the Assessor, who knows a useless regulation for every occasion, and the Orthus, who's in two minds about everything (no, really, you'll have to read the book to get the joke). It's witty, thrilling and heart-stopping in equal measures, and the good news is that while this section of the story is resolved, there are hints of further trouble ahead.